


Mistletoe

by agnes_stewart



Series: Bells Ring and Snow Falls [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Family, Mistletoe, Romance, enchanted forest, stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-11
Updated: 2013-01-11
Packaged: 2017-11-25 01:48:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/633800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agnes_stewart/pseuds/agnes_stewart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle and Jefferson sit down to a modest Christmas dinner with Grace, but the mischievous little girl has other plans for the two close friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mistletoe

Jefferson stood by the fire, stirring the thick stew while Grace and Belle prepared the tea; spooning in sugar and pouring in thick cream that was bought especially for the occasion: Christmas.

"Papa?" Grace asked as her and Belle finished with the tea. "Is dinner almost ready?"

Jefferson turned to face her and said, "Almost, sweetheart. Just a few more minutes." He straightened his back and took a seat at the table, next to Belle and across from Grace.

Belle looked dreamily out the window at the forest, all covered in a blanket of snow. "I love it when it snows," she said, smiling as the other two followed her gaze.

"It's beautiful," Grace agreed, before an idea popped into her head and she suddenly asked, "Papa, could you tell us a story about Wonderland?"

Jefferson smiled and nodded at his daughter as he pondered which story to tell. "Would you like if I told you about when Alice went to the Mad Tea Party?"

"Yes please!" Grace cried, clapping her hands enthusiastically.

He chuckled before beginning, "As you already know, Alice was a very curious girl, so when she heard the clatter of dishes, she came running. By that time, she was used to the oddities of Wonderland, so it wasn't surprising when she saw the Mad Hatter and a rabbit. Well, really a rabbit, but he's called the March Hare. He is a rabbit, but he doesn't like to be referred to as that, to prevent confusion with the White Rabbit, who he doesn't like, and the White Rabbit doesn't like him, because he hates the idea of anyone not liking him. So let's just call him the Hare." Jefferson took a breath as Belle and Grace giggled at the sheer nonsense of that run-on sentence.

"There was also the Dormouse, but he was sleeping, so he's not of much importance. But actually he is… he was a rather kind mouse, and whenever he fell asleep, the Hatter or the Hare would pour hot tea on him." Belle's knowing gaze made him stop in the middle of the story, but after regaining his composure, he said, "When Alice approached the table, the Hare threw a teacup at her, and though he missed, she was rather shaken as she sat down. The Hatter started off the tea party by being rather rude, telling her that she wasn't invited and that she couldn't sit there… Alice ignored him."

"Why were they so mean to her?" Grace asked as Belle stood up and took the stew off the fire.

Jefferson thought, looking down at his hands, which lay palms down on the table, before replying, "I suppose they just wanted someone to boss around, as I can't see any real motive besides that." Glancing up at Grace, he asked, "Is that a sufficient answer?"

"Yes Papa," she replied as Belle sloppily spooned the stew into bowls, some of it splashing onto the dirt floor of the cabin. "Could you continue?"

"Course." He nodded as Belle placed the stew in front of him and Grace, before sitting down with her own bowl. "Thank you," he said before adding to the story, "They all drank their tea and ate jam and biscuits. To be exact, it was peach tea- your favorite kind, Grace- and strawberry jam with plain old biscuits. They were sort of doughy, as the Hare wasn't the best chef, and they were burnt because the Dormouse fell asleep when he was supposed to be cooking them."

"A very detailed story," Belle said, smiling as she gave him another knowing glance.

"I like to be precise in my storytelling, m'lady," Jefferson replied with a grin. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Another glance.

Jefferson took a deep breath before he continued the story. "The Hatter then told them a riddle. Well, not all of them, since the Dormouse was sleeping. The riddle was: 'How is a raven like a writing desk?' Any ideas, Gracie?" he asked his daughter with a smile. "And you, Belle? Can you figure it out?"

The two bit their lips as they searched for an answer, exchanging bewildered glance as Jefferson's mischievous grin grew.

"There's no answer," he said and they both instantly looked to him. "It's nonsense, absolute nonsense. There's not meant to be an answer. I suppose it wasn't very fair of me to ask, then."

"It's complete nonsense?" Belle asked.

"Nonsense," he confirmed. "Madness even."

"But that's all part of the fun!" Grace said, smiling.

Jefferson smiled back at her. "Yes it is, my dear."

"Is that the end of the story?" Belle inquired, taking a spoonful of her stew.

He nodded. "That's about all. Hatter was rude, so Alice left."

"That's a shame," Grace said, with her mouth full of stew. "They could have been great friends."

"Oh, they were," Jefferson said. "When Alice was older… And don't talk with you mouth full."

Belle laughed, loving how from one moment he could go from telling fantastical stories to gently scolding his daughter. "The stew's delicious," she said as she set down her spoon.

"Thanks," Jefferson said. "But you did most of the work."

She smiled lightly as Grace asked, "After dinner can we go for a walk?"

"Of course," he said. "I need to gather more firewood anyways."

"I'll help," Belle offered.

At that moment Grace noisily set down her spoon and took her bowl to the bucket of water in the corner, plunging it beneath the water and wiping her hands on her dress as she returned to her seat. "Can we go now?" she asked, again hopping from her seat and pulling her fur cloak off a hook by the door.

"My, my, excited little rabbit," Jefferson said, finishing his dinner. "You're moving faster than the White Rabbit himself. Wait for Belle to be finished."

"I'm done," Belle told them. "No need to wait for me." She put her bowl in the bucket and removed her hood from a hook, pulling it over herself and fastening it. "Are you ready to go?"

Jefferson nodded, pushing open the door to the cabin and stepping out into the snow, closely followed by Grace and Belle. "How about you go run along," Belle said to Grace, "and your Papa and I will look for firewood?"

"All right," Grace said, nodding happily and she turned and began to run off into the woods.

"Don't go too far!" Jefferson called after her. "And don't get lost!"

"I won't!" she shouted back in response. Jefferson looked after her until she was out of sight before him and Belle began to walk, keeping in pace with each other and they struggled through the deep snow.

"The stories are true," Belle said quietly, glancing over at him as they walked. "Aren't they?"

"Of course," Jefferson said, looking up at Belle with a calm smile.

She nodded. "And Grace can't know?"

"No," he said. "The hat is how she lost her mother, I don't want to tell her about that," Jefferson added, picking up a few decent sized twigs and logs that he found.

Belle bent over and did the same. "I'm sorry about your wife," she told him, offering condolences. "It must be difficult for you."

"It's fine," Jefferson said, shaking off her sympathy. "I have Grace… and you." Meeting her gaze, he added, "As a friend of course."

Belle laughed as she tucked the firewood under her arm. "It's all right. I've moved on from Rumpel."

"I'm glad," Jefferson said. "I hated to see you so unhappy."

Belle smiled, a childish notion coming into her mind. Setting down her firewood, she plunged her bare hands into the frigid snow and packed it into a ball. She hurled it at Jefferson, who was already making a snowball of his own.

He threw a snowball back at her, and it hit her in the stomach. She laughed at the impact and tossed snow back at him. It flitted in the air before landing a few feet in front of her. Jefferson laughed at the effort and scooped up some snow in his hands, running towards her and dropping it onto her brown hair as she screamed and tried to duck away.

The two laughed as they looked at each other, both covered in snow, though Belle had little snow crystals sticking to her dark hair and her green hood. Jefferson stepped towards her, placing one hand on her shoulder as the other ran through her hair, trying to remove a majority of the snow. Her breath hitched at the contact and she felt a soft smile materialize on her face.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, smiling shyly.

"Don't be sorry," Belle replied. "It was fun." She shivered slightly, and Jefferson draped an arm over her shoulder.

"We shoulder probably head back and get some tea started for when Grace gets home," he said, picking up the firewood.

"She may already be there," Belle pointed out.

Jefferson shrugged. "She could be out there wandering for hours. I'll probably have to call for her once it gets dark," he told her as they headed towards the cabin.

Reaching it, they stepped inside, warmed by the heat given off by the fire. Jefferson approached the hearth, and gently laid some of the firewood on it, watching it flare to life, as Belle shook off her hood at the doorway.

Hanging her hood up on a hook, she walked farther into the cabin and looked up to see mistletoe secured on a string. Looking at the screen shielding Grace's bed, Belle could see the little girl peeking out at them, a mischievous grin on her features. "Jefferson," Belle said, glancing at the mistletoe.

"Hm?" he asked, walking towards her until their shoulders were squared to each other. She pointed up, and his eyes flitted upwards, where he saw the mistletoe hanging. "Oh…" Jefferson said quietly.

"Best not disappoint," Belle said, smiling nervously. She gently took hold of his hands and wrapped them around her waist. She then placed her hands on his chest, glancing at him expectantly.

Jefferson paused before leaning in slowly, gently pressing his lips against hers. Belle smiled into the kiss and they broke apart, grinning at each other. "Um… I better get to washing the dishes," Belle said, turning to leave, but he grabbed her wrist, pulling her in for a more passionate kiss.

"Love you," he muttered against her lips, leaning his forehead against hers.

She smiled. "I love you too," she replied, pulling back slowly. "Now time to get the dishes done."

"And I have to put that troublemaker to bed," he said loudly and purposefully, looking fondly at Grace's corner nook. They heard giggles from behind the screen.

The two laughed and Belle whispered, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, Belle," Jefferson said back a smile forming on his lips as he moved towards Grace's nook.

Belle grinned and glanced out the window at the icy scenery as the snow began to fall.


End file.
